The O'Raven Chronicles!: More About Raven;

The O'Raven Chronicles is pleased and privileged to host this, Special Bonus Un-Announced Stop Post for The Opposites Blog Tour!

Opposites 2^nd tour stop for The O’Raven Chronicles.

Meet Raven of the Opposites series by T.M. Smith…Go behind the Character.

Author T.M. Smith on Raven;

Raven actually started out in this series as a side character, a window dressing for the story if you will. I knew there would be someone in the story that was the core of the religious aspects. My research for the story had me asking my best gay friend a lot of questions. Not just about the actual life of a gay man, but about religion as well since he’s a shamanic minister. As the story grew in my head and then flowed to paper, Raven sort of decided he wanted a bigger part in the story.

His name was always Raven since I was taking the essence of him from my friend, Loush O’Raven. As he became more prominent in the story it came time to choose someone to actually BE Raven. I needed a certain person for the visual aspect of this character, Loush’s only request was, “just pick someone that is actually gay, okay.” My response was, “well that’s either Adam Lambert or Clay Aiken.” It was totally a joke, but one I still tease him about because seriously, as soon as he said someone that is actually gay it all clicked in my head immediately. Once you read the book I hope you will agree that Adam Lambert truly is Raven.

He is a fictional character that started out as a voice in my head. That voice mixed with Lou, his input and his personality along with Adam Lambert and his persona as a singer, performer, and gay rights activist are the embodiment of Raven!

A little something extra for Raven fans, Lou and I talked long and loudly over who would be his husband in the series. I decided quickly it would be Tanis, from House Orion, Maeves brother, the man whore. I mean the irony alone is hysterical, The Priest and The Playboy. The problem was again, the visual concept for Tanis. Lou likes men with attitudes, muscles and ink. My first thought was Alex O’Laughlin from Moonlight and Hawaii five-o. Lou argued that while Alex is hot as hell, he is way too old. I toyed briefly with Alexander Skaarsgard as well because, let’s face it, who doesn’t want to climb that mountain!

Strolling through facebook one day I stumbled across some pics of a model, Daniel Osborne, and almost fell off the couch! He was so perfectly Tanis that he all but screamed at me. Blonde, beautiful and oozing sex appeal with his mesmerizing blue eyes and all that ink. I found my Tanis. Thankfully Lou liked him as well because he was stuck with him regardless!

I hope you will all read my book, and I hope you love all the characters… not just Raven and Tanis. Be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win that Nook as well as some fantastic Opposites swag!

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Loush on the Character Raven (A message from the real life Raven);

I was truly honored that my friend wanted to write a character inspired by me…It wasn’t always easy as she will attest…I am more than a little hard to please hahahaha. As she said, I wanted the visual inspiration to be someone that was openly Gay and Proud. If she would have chosen Clay things would have gotten ugly real fast lol. Adam was a great choice I think. It was sometimes difficult to convey my personal religious and spiritual convictions to my friend, but I think we finally reached a good balance between what she wanted and needed for the character and what I wanted and needed for Raven to be a more genuine yet still fictional portrayal of me as a human being! I guess in a way and I think the author would agree with me, I am sort of the real life voice of the book….besides the author of course! This is because out of all the characters and the people who they were inspired by…Raven is so much like myself in a great many aspects of his nature; because I had a hand in helping shape him. In the future should book signings take place, I will most like go with T.M. and be there in Character you might say….though I am far less pretty than the Character and also…I am blonde lol! Watching my friend go through this process and having taken the journey with her to a degree…I have a special appreciation of what she went through in creating her world and this story. I also have to give T.M. my admiration…any one who can put up with someone as demanding as I am, deserves and award lol! Not that T.M. isn’t pretty damned demanding herself; wink wink! Lol

I have been and continue to be honored for being part of this experience and having a character inspired by me in this wonderful book! It is my hope that people really take the point and message of the story to heart and really consider what the author was trying to say about how Gay people such as myself are treated in the global society, and what the general heterosexual public would think if the shoe was on the other foot! More importantly are the Love stories involved in this book. They portray a variety of relationships and forms of love. It is Love that is at the heart of this book, and it is Love that is ultimately the main theme in the end! How far would we go for the ones we Love? How much we would endure to Love and be Loved? This book attempts to explore a little bit of these issues and leaves the reader wanting to know more about the unique world the author has created! A world very much like ours…where being born different than the status quo could cost you everything! Perhaps even your freedom….perhaps even your very Life! We hope everyone is enjoying this book, and if you haven’t picked up your copy we invite you to please do so now. Thank you!

More pics of the real life Raven;